As soon as Yuan Shao died, some people were happy and some people were sad, such as Liu Xie, he was very happy, although it was a bit immoral to be happy at this time, but as soon as Yuan Shao died, he could rest assured that he would order the army to crusade against Xiqiang, and he no longer had to worry that someone would come to attack in the east at this time. And as long as Xiqiang is solved as soon as possible, Liu Xie can even pick up the grass and beat the rabbit to find Cao Cao's trouble. As soon as Yuan Shao died, Hebei will be chaotic, Liu Xie believes that with Cao Cao's character, it is impossible for him to sit back and wait for the sons of the Yuan family to divide the victory and defeat before making a move, once Cao Cao intervenes in Hebei, then the Central Plains under his control will be empty, as long as the time can be caught up, it is not impossible to prevent Cao Cao from developing and growing, the key is one word, fast.

Liu Xie's army finally began to move, and Cao Cao, who occupied the Central Plains, was both happy and sad after learning of Yuan Shao's death, happy that he had finally waited for the opportunity to attack Hebei, and sad that another close friend had passed away, and there was one less person who could be regarded as a friend by Cao Cao.

But I was sad and sad, and Cao Cao didn't delay what he should do. He originally planned to take advantage of Yuan Tan's entry into Xuzhou to launch a counterattack, but was stopped by Guo Jia.

"Ming Gong, who is stronger and weaker between Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan in Hebei now?" Guo Jia asked softly.

"Yuan is still strong, Yuan Tan is weak."

"In this case, why did Ming Gong help Yuan Shang destroy Yuan Tan? If the two tigers fight, there must be an injury, Yuan Shang is strong and Yuan Tan is weak, if Ming Gong helps Yuan Shang attack Yuan Tan, how long can Yuan Tan support? ”

"Feng Xiao means to attack Yuan Shang?"

"Exactly, the sons of the Yuan family in Hebei have their own people and horses, although Yuan Shang has taken advantage of a name, but it is not yet known who will kill the deer. Ming Gong, it is better to wait and see for the time being, and stand still. ”

"Hmm...... Zijing, tomorrow you go to Hebei to mourn Yuan Shao on my behalf, and by the way, listen to the current situation in Hebei at this time. Cao Cao thought about it and instructed Lu Sudao.

"Mengde, don't send troops?" Xiahoudun looked at Cao Cao with some disappointment and asked.

"We won't send troops for the time being, but we still need to prepare for sending troops." Cao Cao nodded and replied to Xiahoudun.

"Yuan Rang, don't be disappointed, don't send troops at this time, just to make the Yuan family's sons fight more assured and more intense, that will only be good for us and others to recover Hebei in the future." Cheng Yu comforted Xiahou and said.

"Yes, yes, no matter when I send troops, I just have to fight, Meng De, then I will go back to Xuzhou to sit in the town, about Yuan Tan who invaded Xuzhou, can I take someone to drive him back to Qingzhou?"

Cao Cao shook his head when he heard this: "No need, you just have to retreat if you don't drive him." For the time being, let him go, let him consume a little more Yuan Shang's troops for us, and after you return to Xuzhou, you will be ready to fight. ”

When the matter was almost discussed, and Guo Jia was left alone, Cao Cao asked Guo Jia: "Fengxiao, are you also worried about the reaction of the imperial court when you oppose my sending troops to Hebei today?" ”

"Yes, Ming Gong, when today's son is not a good type, he is also a talented man now, and his soldiers are strong. Yuan Shao is alone in Hebei, and now that he is dead, he will not let go of this opportunity. ”

"Hmm...... I am also worried, so what do you say we should do if the imperial court sends troops? Cao Cao nodded and asked Guo Jiadao.

"Duke Ming, if the imperial court sends troops, then we can only enter Hebei from Yuan Tan in Qingzhou, and in addition, we must order people to strengthen the vigilance of the Tiger Prison Pass and Xu Du to prevent the imperial court soldiers from entering the Central Plains. As for the ownership of Hebei, it can only depend on individual means, each according to his ability. ”

"Can you find a way to make some trouble for the imperial court?"

"This, I'm afraid it's a bit difficult, at the moment, the surrounding forces of the imperial court, except for us, there is only one Liu Biao, or the Qiang, Xiongnu, Nanban and other foreign tribes. Let's take a look first, according to Jia's analysis, this time the imperial court will either send troops to merge the state, or go back to solve the Cherrigi of Xiqiang. ”

"Cherrigi? Why? ”

"This Xiqiang Cheriji is located behind the imperial court, has always been dissatisfied with the control of the imperial court, the last time Yuan Shao sent troops, the imperial court in order to prevent Cheriji from taking the opportunity to make trouble, had to leave heavy troops in Liangzhou. And now that there is nothing going on in the east, according to the character of today's son, he will naturally not continue to tolerate having Xiqiang Cheriji behind him to make trouble for him. Ming Gong, if the imperial court really uses troops against Xiqiang, then our actions must also be hurried, Jia is worried that if we are caught in the war in Hebei, the imperial court that preemptively solved Xiqiang will attack us. ”

"Does he have a reason?"

"Ming Gong, he is the imperial court." Guo Jia reminded Cao Cao a little helplessly. When he proposed to Cao Cao to blackmail the Son of Heaven to order the princes, he considered that the Son of Heaven was in his hands and would take the advantage of not being subordinate on behalf of the Son of Heaven. Unexpectedly, the big man's anger was not exhausted, so that Dangzi survived the most difficult stage, so that this plan had to be declared a failure. If the Son of Heaven is in hand at this time, then there is no need to bother thinking about reasons and making excuses for the conquest of Hebei. But no, the Son of Heaven stays in Chang'an well, he can fight whoever he wants, and he has to be careful not to let the Son of Heaven find an opportunity to attack.

……

Yecheng

Yuan Shao's funeral is still being handled, and Yuan Shang, who is Yuan Shao's successor, is also taking over with the help of trial and Xu You, and most of the Hebei civil and military generals have expressed their allegiance to Yuan Shang, which makes Yuan Shang feel a trace of regret at the same time. Jizhou is under control, but Qingzhou and Youzhou have not replied. As for the senior cadres of the state, Yuan Shang is the least worried, the senior cadre is Yuan Shao's nephew, no matter how the foundation of Hebei is turned, it will not be his turn, and now that he has succeeded Hebei, his senior cadres will naturally only be loyal to himself, not to mention that the state cannot make ends meet, and the senior cadres want to sit firmly in the position of the state pastor, and they also need their own help, Yuan Shang believes that there will be no accidents in the high cadres.

What worries Yuan Shang is Qingzhou and Youzhou, especially Qingzhou, it is impossible for Yuan Tanshi to be obedient. At the beginning, he fought with himself before he became the lord of Hebei, but now that he has successfully ascended to the throne, that Yuan Tan will definitely not be reconciled. In this way, a battle with Yuan Tan is inevitable.

As for Youzhou, Yuan Shang was not too worried, but Xu You's words made Yuan Shang panic, although this Yuan Xi is the concubine of the Yuan family, and he is also the second in line, but now he has soldiers and food in his hands, and he is willing to bow his head to himself and be willing to live under others.

"Mr. Xu, do you think Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi will return to Yecheng?" Yuan Shang asked Xu Yu in his heart. Xu You gave Yuan Shang a plan, asking Yuan Shang to use Yuan Shao's funeral as an excuse to lure Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi back to Yecheng for the funeral, as long as these two come back, it is not up to the two of them to let them go. Just wait for the overall situation to settle, whether to kill or release nature is up to Yuan Shang to decide, but what Yuan Shang is worried about is whether Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi will be so stupid and really get into the trap he has prepared, anyway, if it is Yuan Shang, he will definitely find a reason not to Yecheng.

And just as Yuan Shang thought, Yuan Tan saw the messenger sent by Yuan Shang, and after learning the news that his father had died, he was stunned at first, and then cried, and after fooling the messenger, Yuan Tan immediately found Guo Tu and Xin Ping. At this time, Chen Gong was leading troops to attack Xuzhou and was not by Yuan Tan's side, and Guo Tu finally escaped Chun Yuqiong's pursuit and returned to Yuan Tan's side smoothly.

"Childe, you must not go back, Yuan Shang has now controlled Yecheng, and going back is tantamount to throwing yourself into a net." Guo Tu immediately persuaded Yuan Tandao.

"What Mr. Guo said naturally makes sense, but as a son of man, how can he not go when his father dies?" Yuan Tan said with some embarrassment.

"Childe, Yecheng definitely can't go, not only can't go, but also hurry up and prepare for the war. If Gongzi does not go to Yecheng, Yuan Shang will definitely refuse to give up, and will definitely use the fact that Gongzi does not go to Yecheng to accuse Gongzi of being unfilial, and send troops to conquer Qingzhou. Xin Ping on the side also spoke at this time.

"It's not to go, it's not to go, so to go or not to go?"

"Don't worry, Yecheng said that he can't go, but there must be a good reason, as long as this reason is reasonable, Yuan Shang can't use this as an excuse to attack Gongzi."

"Mr. Guo, will Ji An'an come out?" Yuan Tan hurriedly asked when he heard this.

"Childe, right now our army is attacking Cao Cao's Xuzhou, if the Cao army counterattacks, does it need Gongzi to personally sit in the battle to deal with the counterattack of the Cao army?" Guo Tu said with a smile.

“…… Okay, good, clever plan, really a clever plan, Mr. Guo is really powerful, then reply to Yecheng according to Mr. Guo's words. Yuan Tan nodded happily and said yes. Xin Ping on the side also added in agreement: "The public rule is very good, then I will go back and arrange, tomorrow the messenger will come to urge Gongzi to return to Yecheng, and then I will have someone send an emergency military situation, and Gongzi will have a reason not to return to Yecheng." ”

"Well, there's Lao Zhongzhi."

"In addition, Gongzi also needs to hurry up and prepare for the war, then Yuan Shangfei is not a good type, and he will not allow Gongzi to occupy Qingzhou. Childe, it seems that we need to send someone to contact the second son as soon as possible and win him over before Yuan Shang. ”

"Okay, then this matter will be handed over to Mr. Guo."

……

Yuan Xi didn't know when he suddenly became a fragrant glutton, and became the object of others' scrambling. Yuan Shao died of illness, and Yuan Xi naturally felt sad. Although this father usually cares for himself far less than he does for the two brothers Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi still feels sad when he hears that Yuan Shao has passed away.

I wanted to agree to the envoy's request to return to Yecheng on the spot, but Tian Feng, who didn't want to sit on the side, suddenly coughed a few times. Yuan Xi is not much stronger than his son Yuan Shao, and one of the limited advantages is that he is good at accepting people's words, and he will not listen to it because he doesn't like to listen.

Although Tian Feng, an old stubborn donkey in Hebei, has a stubborn temper, but his vision is extremely accurate, what he says is often nine times out of ten, Yuan Xi usually attaches great importance to Tian Feng's opinions, plus his own personality is soft, and he is not good at fighting with others, which also causes the habit of obeying Tian Feng's words. Seeing Tian Feng coughing suddenly, Yuan Xi knew that Tian Feng had something to say to himself, so he found a reason to send the envoy down, leaving only Tian Feng by his side.

"Second son, Yecheng can't go at this time." As soon as the envoy left, Tian Feng opened his mouth and said to Yuan Xi without waiting for Yuan Xi to ask.

"Sir, why can't you go?"

"The second son is gone, and it is not easy to come back. At that time, people will be swordsmen, I will be fish and meat, and Childe will only be at the mercy of others. ”

"Sir, but my father ......"

"Second son, if you go back, you will definitely be involved in the infighting of the lord of Hebei. Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan are on the same page, the two will not see each other when the lord is there, and now that the lord is not there, whether it is Yuan Shang or Yuan Tan, they will be desperate to get rid of each other. The second son is involved at this time, who will the son help then? ”

"Uh...... This ......" Yuan Xi was in trouble, and in his heart, he didn't want to help anyone. Whether it is Yuan Tan or Yuan Shang, they are not very good to themselves on weekdays, where is the slightest meaning of thinking that they are siblings. At this time, even if you really send someone to make friends, I am afraid that you will also take a fancy to the Youzhou soldiers and horses in your hands, once the other party gets rid of the opponent, I am afraid that the next target should be your turn.

"Sir, what shall I do?" Yuan Xi couldn't think of how to choose, so he could only ask the wise people around him. Seeing this, Tian Feng smiled slightly, and said to Yuan Xi: "Second son, do you remember that a certain man once told you that the lord was just a concubine in the Yuan family back then?" ”

"Sir, I'm just afraid that it will be difficult to take on a big job."

"It's man-made, as long as the son has the heart to try, then Tian is willing to give advice to the son."

“…… Sir, may I ask why you value me? Yuan Xi thought about it and asked Tian Fengdao.

"Hebei needs a benevolent lord to inherit, and whether it is Yuan Tan or Yuan Shang, they have been blinded by the word power and have lost their minds. The two of them will fight for Hebei, which will inevitably lead to infighting, and at that time, Cao Cao in the Central Plains or the court in Guanzhong will not sit idly by. Once Cao Cao or the imperial court is allowed to intervene in Hebei, the Yuan family's good foundation in Hebei is likely to be ruined. Second son, Tian Mou supports you not for personal gain, but to protect the foundation left by the lord in Hebei from being occupied by others. ”

“…… Thank you Mr. for being honest, Yuan Xi is not talented, and I am willing to work with Mr. to keep the foundation of Hebei. Yuan Xi gave Tian Feng a deep salute and replied with a firm expression.

With Yuan Xi's consent, Tian Feng naturally had to worry about the rest. Yuan Xi is good at this, he is willing to let go, as long as you dare to take the initiative, he will dare to let go. And Tian Feng also lived up to Yuan Xi's trust, long before Yuan Xi agreed in person, Tian Feng had been secretly preparing to buy the hearts of Youzhou people for Yuan Xi, and now that Yuan Xi agreed, the sneaky move before could naturally be put on the table at this time.

In order to refuse to return to Yecheng, Tian Feng adopted a similar approach to Guo Tu's, in which Guo Tu used Cao Cao in Xuzhou as an excuse, while Tian Feng used the Karasuma people in the north as an excuse. When Gongsun Chan occupied Youzhou, he took a tough attitude towards the northern aliens, and with the strength of his subordinates, the northern aliens were terrified, but with Gongsun Chan being defeated by Yuan Shao, those northern aliens began to be dishonest again in the past two years, and frequently went south to rob the Han people.

"Mr. Feng, you came at the right time, the Karasuma people are in the territory, and I am worried about the lack of manpower." Yuan Xi looked at Feng Ji with a happy face and said.

"Second son, the Karasuma people are not in a hurry, now that the lord is sick, when will the second son leave to return to Yecheng?" Feng Ji had already seen the envoy sent by Yecheng in advance, so he asked Yuan Xidao.

"Mr. Feng, how can you say that, could it be that you have forgotten that my father said before his death that it is better to lose a thousand troops than to lose an inch of land. At this moment, the Karasuma people are invading on a large scale, and it is time for my generation to contribute to defending the foundation of Hebei, if I go to Yecheng at this time, wouldn't it make the dragons of Youzhou leaderless. As a pastor of Youzhou, I vow to live and die with Youzhou, and I believe that my father has a spirit in the sky, and he can understand my decision at this time. ”

"......" Feng Ji blinked, and he had the heart to persuade him, but he didn't know how to speak. It seems inappropriate to persuade Yuan Xi to return to Yecheng regardless of Youzhou, but Yuan Xi can stay in Youzhou, and he can't complete the task assigned by Yuan Shang.

"Mr. Feng, you have always been resourceful, and it just so happens that Youzhou is short of manpower right now, so it is better for you to stay and help me for the time being. Sir, rest assured, the two generals, Zhang Jaw and Gao Ran, will continue to obey your dispatch, as long as Mr. can hold the upper valley, it doesn't take much, as long as a month, I can return to Yecheng with Mr. ”

Feng Ji is greedy for life and afraid of death, so he naturally doesn't dare to agree to take people to garrison the upper valley, the northern Karasuma people are brave and good at fighting, and only a fierce general like Gongsun Chan can deal with it, and he is a powerless person to guard the upper valley, which is self-defeating.

"Second son, Ji also has the heart to stay and contribute to Youzhou, but it is difficult to disobey his fate, the third son has ordered me to return to Yecheng as soon as possible, this matter in Youzhou, the second son still needs his own efforts."

"It's just that Mr. is leaving, will the two generals Zhang Jaw and Gao Ran also want to return to Yecheng? When they leave, Youzhou wants to deal with the Karasuma people......" Yuan Xi said hesitantly.

Without waiting for Yuan Xi to finish speaking, Feng Ji said with a righteous and awe-inspiring look: "As a general, it is natural to take it as my responsibility to protect the territory and the people, and Zhang Jaw and Gao Ran will lead the troops to stay in Youzhou to help the second son." ”

It is not uncommon for a Feng Ji Yuan Xi to be a talent, not to mention that this Feng Ji still took refuge in Yuan Shang early and left him in Youzhou, which not only makes it difficult for Youzhou to keep secrets, but also a hidden danger within Youzhou. But it was not appropriate to kill Yuan Shang before tearing his face, so he had to find a way to force him away.

Only the enemy knows himself best. Tian Feng and Feng Ji didn't like each other when they worked together, Tian Feng looked down on Feng Ji's sloppy horse, and Feng Ji also looked down on Tian Feng's uprightness. These two are like fighting cocks, they like to pinch when they meet, but it is precisely for this reason that Tian Feng knows very well what Feng Ji's weakness is.

This Feng Ji is timid and afraid of death, as long as he is scared, nine times out of ten he will have the idea to stay away from danger. And today's try, sure enough, this Feng Ji did not hesitate to reject Yuan Xi's proposal to let him lead the army to Shanggu to garrison, in order not to give Yuan Xi a chance, he even gave up the men and horses in the hands of Zhang Jaw and Gao Ran, you must know that in the task assigned by Yuan Shang, let him find a way to find a reason to bring Zhang Jaw and Gao Ran back to Yecheng. It's just that now, for the sake of his own safety, Feng Ji can't care about completing the task assigned by Yuan Shang.

Yuan Xi personally sent Feng Ji out of the city, Zhang Jaw and Gao Ran He was not worried, although Tian Feng was stubborn, but his eloquence was also extraordinary, and it must not be difficult to persuade martial artists like Zhang Jaw and Gao Ran to support him.